Bikini Bottoms

Styles of Bikini Bottoms

Brazilian or Micro

Some bathing suit bottoms, like the Brazilian, are designed to be very low cut in the front, and quite revealing in the rear, much like a thong. Most women will have to wax or shave their pubic area before they can wear this kind of bikini bottom.

Thongs

Like the lingerie of the same name, thongs are designed to show more than they cover. For the most part, thong bikini bottoms leave the largest portion of your rear exposed, with only a thin strip of elastic material covering up your dividing line. Many people like them for tanning, even though they are not the most comfortable bathing suit bottom available. These bikini bottoms may not be the best choice for swimming or other activities, but they are perfect for sunning and lounging on the beach, if you don't mind how much of your body they reveal.

Is a string bikini for you?

String Bikinis

String bikinis are exactly what they sound like. Thin strings tie across the hips to connect the rear to the front piece. These bottoms can vary in how much coverage they provide, so you can choose a style that allows you to show as little or as much as you're comfortable with.

Low-Rise

Low-rise bathing suit bottoms are like their lingerie counterparts, designed to ride a few inches below the belly button. This is a very popular, if a little revealing bikini option.

Scoop

The scoop bathing suit bottom is the traditional bikini bottom. It fully covers the rear and front, and rises up to an inch or so below the belly button. This is a great bikini option for women who don’t want to reveal all, but still want the bikini look. The scoop is also great for swimming and other activities. Most scoops are either high (rising all the way up to the belly button) to moderate or medium. Lower scoops generally fall into the low-rise category.

Boy Shorts or Hot Shorts

Boy short bikini bottoms are also like the lingerie. They are designed to cover and hide your hips and the upper part of your thighs. Many women prefer them to other types of bathing suit bottoms since they are comfortable and modest. Women can swim and play on the beach, or by the poolside in this style without worrying about over-exposure. Hot shorts are a more revealing form of boy shorts, but less revealing than the typical bikini bottom.

Skirts

Skirts are a fun bikini bottom option. Skirt bathing suit bottoms are very short, but they still hide the hips and upper thighs even better than boy shorts do. These skirt bottoms are often ruffled, just like a short peasant skirt, although some people claim that the extra fabric hinders swimming, and many young people consider them a bit old-fashioned.

Another popular skirting option is the sarong. It’s a piece of fabric draped across one hip and tied on the other. Many women prefer this option if they want to cover their hips and upper thighs because the sarong is easly stripped away when it's time to swim.

Do Bikini Bottoms Have to Match the Tops?

Match at your own discretion!

In a word, no. Many women enjoy mixing and matching their bikini tops and bottoms because it gives them even more versatility. Many swimsuit shops sell bikini pieces separately so you can play around with patterns and matching colors until you put together just the look you want. Try experimenting by pairing a patterned top with a solid or striped bottom, or vice a versa. You might be surprised by how great these pieces can look together.

As you can see, there are quite a few options available when choosing bikini bottom pieces, so have fun finding a style that is comfortable and looks terrific on you.